ZKsync launched Airbender Prime, an Ethereum prover that uses a single GPU to create block proofs in real time. The project says that on a single NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPU, its evaluation showed proving speeds of less than 10 seconds for 99% of 7,200 consecutive Ethereum mainnet blocks.

The launch focuses discussions on Ethereum scaling and the next priority for zero-knowledge technology around proving speed, hardware efficiency, and post-quantum security.

Airbender Prime Sets a New Benchmark for Ethereum Proving

According to ZKsync, Airbender Prime has the highest reported average proving time, GPU efficiency, and cost on the ETHproofs public leaderboard. The project proved 99% of the 7,200 consecutive Ethereum mainnet blocks examined, including witness preparation, in under 10 seconds. Each block was finished in under 12 seconds.

The test showed the project can produce Ethereum proofs without relying on a multi-GPU setup, using a single NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPU for the reported single-GPU results. Additionally, ZKsync has released setups with two and four GPUs.

A public resource for comparing Ethereum proving performance is the ETHproofs scoreboard. ZKsync's performance improves its standing in the competition to shorten the time and computational resources needed to provide proofs for Ethereum execution.

Post Quantum Security Drives Airbender Prime's Design

The basis of Airbender Prime is hash-based STARKs, which combine BLAKE2 hashing, WHIR polynomial commitments, and the GKR sumcheck protocol. Post-quantum security is taken into consideration when designing the architecture.

ZKsync states that it will employ Keccak 256-based commitments rather than BN254 pairs for its Layer 1 proofs. This distinction is important because sufficiently powerful quantum computers could pose a threat to conventional elliptic curve cryptography, including BN254-based systems. Systems of evidence based on hash are intended to provide an alternative security basis.

A stand-alone verifier and the open RISC-V standard are also used by Airbender Prime. This makes it possible for third parties to verify proofs without depending entirely on the machine that produced them.

The project's security ambitions and performance goals are linked by these design choices. Although quick proof generation is helpful, the final proofs must be verifiable and compliant with Ethereum execution regulations.

Security & Verification Become the Next Priorities

The reported speed milestone raises the question of whether strict correctness guarantees can be matched with high-performance proving. According to reports, Vitalik Buterin stressed the importance of security as zkEVM technology develops.

Formal verification, making sure the arithmetization precisely complies with Ethereum's requirements, managing prover costs, and safeguarding the proof system itself are among the top priorities. Arithmetization converts computation into mathematical constraints that may be validated by a proof system. A quick prover cannot ensure correctness on its own if those restrictions do not reflect the intended execution rules.

Formal verification can assist in showing that crucial components operate in accordance with their requirements. Another security measure is provided by independent verification, which enables third parties to verify whether a submitted proof meets the requirements.

When ledger updates are validated using proofs, these requirements are very crucial. As long as the verification system and its underlying assumptions remain secure, a compromised execution server should not be able to generate acceptable evidence for an update that breaks the encoded rules.

Big congratulations to the @zksync airbender team for this milestone.

At this point, I consider the battle for speed to be definitively won, and the top priority for zkEVMs should shift fully to security.

To me that means formally verifying

(i) equivalence of the arithmetization to the ethereum spec
(ii) a hard maximum bound on (prover cost) / (amount of gas in block)
(iii) security of the proof system itself
https://t.co/cgtFXBpicf

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) October 15, 2026

Airbender Prime's Role in Ethereum Scaling & Finance

According to ZKsync, institutions and independent operators may find verifiable infrastructure more feasible with lower proving costs and hardware needs. By enabling banks and counterparties to verify ledger updates instead of depending solely on the operator's guaranties, it aims to make independent verification a standard aspect of financial systems.

The initiative relates this strategy to concerns that AI would speed up the identification and exploitation of software flaws. Although they can't completely remove all security risks in an application or its surrounding infrastructure, publicly verifiable proofs could aid in enforcing established rules even in the event that an execution server is compromised.

Additionally, the introduction increases competition among Ethereum scaling initiatives, such as Starknet, which has its own security and technical agenda. Headline proving times are not the only factor used in comparisons between various systems. Their operating expenses, security assumptions, verification techniques, and adherence to Ethereum's execution rules are all significant factors.

According to ZKsync, Airbender Prime is a first step toward a future where trust is backed by independently verifiable evidence, and more announcements are in the works.

If you find any issues in this article or notice missing information, please feel free to reach out at team@etherworld.co for clarifications or updates.

To promote your Web3 articles, events, and projects, you may reach out anytime via EtherWorld PR for submissions and collaboration.

Related Articles

1. Vitalik’s Bitcoin-Inspired Plan for Ethereum
2. Vitalik Buterin Outlines Ethereum's Lean Vision
3. Vitalik Buterin Explains Cryptography’s “Final Boss”
4. Vitalik Buterin Says Options-Based DeFi Is Already Taking Shape
5. Vitalik Buterin Unveils Analysis on Ethereum's Diverse Layer 2 Landscape

To follow blockchain news, track Ethereum protocol progress, and read our latest stories, subscribe to our weekly today.

Join the EtherWorld & Avarch Internship Program and build your career in blockchain, content, social media, video, podcast editing, or operations. Send your resume and brief introduction to contact@etherworld.co.